Hairpin



Feb. 10, 1942. H. P. JoHNsoN HAIRPIN Filed Sept. 23, 1941 aroldffhmm Patented Feb. i9, 1942 unirse STATES PATENT oFFlcE Harold P. Johnson, Baltimore, Md., assignor ci' one-third to Thomas M. Kirby,..lr., Randallstown, and one-third to Gustav F. Sanderson,

Arnold, Md.

Application September 23, 1941, Serial No. 412,047

` (Ci. 132-52) A 11 Claims.

This invention relates toa hairpin primarily intended for use in setting curls or ringlets.

It is customary beauty shop practice to retain l curls or ringlets in xed positions until they have set, through the use of a relatively large number of hairpins for each curl. This procedure entails the handling of a large number of such fasteners and is -correspondingly tedious land time consuming. Whereas there have been previous attempts to provide hairpin or clasp constructions requiring a smaller number for each curl or ringlet, these earlier proposals have not been adopted because of excessive cost inv some cases 'and unsatisfactory operation in others.

With the growing restrictions imposed upon metal articles for civilian uses, it becomes increasingly important that even such small articles as hairpins be adapted-for manufacture from more readily available materials such as plastics. This factor has received due consideration in the present case.

By the present invention it is proposed to provide an improved hairpin characterized by elongated tines defining an intermediate slit and shorter tines on opposite sides thereof, dening therewith slits wider than the rst. the elongated tines being adapted to pass through a curl and engage a tuft of hair near the scalp for anchoring the hairpin in position, while the outer tines are adapted to receive the convolutions of the curl or ringlet and clamp it between themselves and the elongated tines. 'I'he slit deilned by the elongated tines is preferably of substantially uniform width for the greater portion of its length, terminating in a divergent bight which servesto guide the hair into the slit as the hairpin is advanced. The wider slits defined between the elongated tines and the outer tines also preferably diverge at their open ends for a similar purpose. Each of the tines preferably has a relatively pointed free end permitting its ready insertion into the hair. The closed ends of the slits preferably terminate in enlarged apertures to resist tearing and promote exibility; and for retentionfof strength, it is preferable that the closed ends of the Wider slits be misaligned with the closed end of the narrower slit. Whereas the article of the present invention may be constructed from many different resilient materials, plastics such as synthetic .resinsv and cellulose derivatives have been found to be highly satisfactory. The hairpin covered by this invention may be formed quite readily from sheet material by a stamping or punching operation.

their free ends may be moved in a path intersecting the plane of the longer tines for ready introduction of a curl. The material composing the shorter tines may normally lie in the plane of the longer ones or. in accordance with a medinvcation,v extend out of such plane in its normal position.l Another proposed modication provides that one of the elongated tines be longer than the other to further facilitate the introduction of the pin into the hair.'

A more detailed. description of the invention has reference to the accompanying drawin wherein:

Fig. 1 is a plan of the device; Fig. 2 is an elevation of the device depicted in Fie. 1;

Fig. 3 is a plan of a modification;

Fig. 4 is an elevation oi the modification depicted in Fig. 3

Fig. 5 is a perspective show ing the application of the device to retain a curl in position; and Figs. 6, 7 and 8 are plan views of additional modifications.

Forpurposes of illustration, the hairpin of the present invention has been shown as constructed from sheet material, from which it may be suitably punched or stamped. In Figs. 1 and 2, elongated tines i9 and l2 are separated by a relatively narrow intermediate slit I, the open end of which provides a divergent bight i8 bordered by the tapered relatively sharp ends I8 and 20 of the elongated tines l0 and l2 respectively. The closed end ofthe slit I4 terminates in an enlargement 22 formed in the head 24 of the pin,

. which imparts exibility to these resilient elongated or central tines, and reduces the danger of tearing at this point.

Depending from the head 24 in substantially the same'direction as the elongated tines, there as much strength as possible, the enlarged closed ends 3| and 36 of the wider slits may be misaligned with the enlargement 22 of the intermediate slit.

The shorter tines are relatively iiexible so ,that As clearlyindicated in' Fig. 2 of thedrawing,

two particulars.

the free ends of the outer tines 26 and 28 normally lie in a plane outside that of the elongated tines'l and I2. This relative position facilitates entry of the hair forming a curl or ringlet into the outer slits Ill and 32 as the hairpin is advanced to its nal clamping position. The outer edges of the elongated tines have been shown as smooth and parallel, a construction which facilitates movement of the hairpin into and out of the hair. The outer edges of the shorter tines as shown in Fig. 1 are likewise substantially parallel for a similar purpose. By virtue of the relatively narrow slit between the elongated tines, a substantial grip and anchorage will be possible even though the tuft of hair engaged thereby be relatively small.

The modification illustrated in Figs. 3 and 4 diifers from that of Figs. l and 2, primarily in In the first place. the elongated tine lill is longer than the tine I2, and in the second place, the outer tines |26 and |28 normally lie in the plane of the elongated tines. Another slight diiference involves the outer contour of the shorter tines which is slightly curved in Fig. 3. The longer tine H with its longer tapered end H8, will serve to guide the hair into the slit more effectively under some circumstances where the tines are of equal length and similar taper. Positioning the shorter tines in the same plane as the longer ones, requires more flexing when a curl is inserted, but this is offset by the fact that a somewhat rrner clamping action is exerted upon the curl.

The mode of application of the hairpin of the present invention to the hair has been depicted in Fig. 5 wherein a curl or ringlet 38 is formed with its axis substantially perpendicular to the scalp and wherein a tuft of hair 40 adjacent to the scalp is partially received and gripped in the intermediate slit i4 between the elongated tines. It will be noted that the curl or ringlet itself is received in the slits or pockets defined between the outer tines and the elongated ones in such a way that only one pin and accordingly, one operation is required for clamping each curl. It is worthy of mention that the pin of the present invention is well adapted to hold a curl or ringlet in position with its axis substantially parallel to the scalp in accordance with a different and recently developed method of setting the hair. This is true because the relatively narrow intermediate slit requires but little hair for a firm grip and there is no need to utilize a plurality of radiating pins where the present construction is employed. The modification employing elongated tines of different lengths is particularly suited to this recently developed method.

The modifications depicted in Figs. 6, '7 and 8 illustrate variations from the Fig. 1 showing of the elongated tines having parallel outer edges. In these figures, the outer edges of the tines are intermediately reduced in various ways to provide enlarged free ends. In Fig. 6 the elongated tines ill and i2 are defined by concave outer edges 44 and 46 which terminate in short parallel edges I8 and 50 respectively extending to their free ends. In Fig. 'I the tines I0 and l2 have a convergent-divergent shape of the hour glass type,

produced by downwardly convergent edges 52` and 54 which intersect downwardly divergent edges 56 and 58 respectively extending to the free ends of the tines. And in Fig. 8, the arcuate edges 60 and 62 of the enlongated tines extend to their free ends. These shapes provide an interlocking action which is highly desirable for certain applications of the pin. It will be noted in these figures. that the outer edges of the shorter tines are also diiferently inclined and curved for a similar purpose.

The foregoing description is illustrative of the invention whose scope is set forth in the following claims.

I claim:

l. A hairpin comprising elongated tines having reduced ends denning an intermediate terminally divergent slit and shorter tines on opposite sides of said elongated tines defining therewith wider terminally diverging slits, said shorter tines having their free ends adapted for iiexure out of the plane of said elongated tines.

2. A hairpin comprising elongated resilient inner tines having substantially parallel adja cent edges for the greater portions of their lengths adapted to pass through a curl or ringlet and grasp a tuft of hair for anchoring the hairpin in a desired position. and shorter outer tines resillently associated with said inner tines adapted for iiexure in a path intersecting the plane of said inner tines to receive a portion of the coiled strand deiining the curl or ringlet and grip the same in cooperation with said inner tines.

3. A unitary hairpin comprising adjacent intermediate substantially parallel tines adapted to pass through a ringlet to resillently grip a tuft of hair near the scalp, and outer resilient tines shorter than and substantially parallel to said intermediate tines for pressing said ringlet against said intermediate tines.

4. A hairpin comprising a unitary body of resilient sheet material providing intermediate adjacent tines having reduced ends adapted to ex tend through a ringlet for engagement with a. tuft of hair and outer shorter tines cooperating with said intermediate tines for holding said ringlet in position.

5. A hairpin comprising adjacent intermediate tines having substantially parallel outer edges and inner edges substantially parallel for the greater portion of their lengths but diverging at their ends, and outer shorter tines integral with said intermediate tines for holding a ringlet in position.

6. A hairpin having resilient central tines spaced by a substantially uniform narrow slit and terminating in divergent ends, and relatively short resilient outer tines integral withsaid central tines extending in the same general direction as said central tines, said outer tines being spaced from said central tines suiiiciently to yieldingly grip the convolutions of a ringlet in cooperation with said central tines.

7. A unitary hairpin comprising adjacent tines having adjacent edges which are substantially parallel for the greater portion of their lengths defining a slit therebetween, shorter tines on opposite sides of said adjacent tines and spaced suiliciently to permit said adjacent tines to pass through a ringlet and grip a tutt of hair between them, and to receive and grip said ringlet between said shorter tines and said adjacent tines.

8. A hairpin comprising elongated tines of unequal lengths deiining an intermediate slit for engaging a tuft of hair and a pair of outer tines shorter than either of said elongated tines cooperating with the latter to grip a curl or ringlet.

9. A unitary hairpin comprising elongated tines defining an intermediate slit for engaging a tut of hair and a pair of outer tines shorter than the first partially coplanar with but terminating out of the plane of said elongated tines and cooperating with the latter to grip a curl or ringlet.

10. A unitary hairpin of low conducting sheet material comprising a pair of elongated tines defining an intermediate slit having a relatively uniform intermediate width but enlarged at its ends, and a pair of tines on opposite sides of said elongated tines defining with the latter, divergent slitswider .than the first bu't terminating short of the rst at both ends.

11. A hairpin comprising elongated tines having adjacent edges terminating in a divergent bight and outer edges intermediately reduced to define enlarged free ends, and outer shorter tines cooperating with said elongated tines for holding a body of hair. v

HAROLD P. JOHNSON. 

